About

The RealityShock is a simple, safe, bluetooth controlled, haptic feedback device that stimulates and shocks the muscles of the user when they take damage, or receive feedback, in game.

This feedback opens up amazing possibilities for Multiplayer & VR Immersion applications as it provides the user with a physical stimulus to in game events, be it to add subtle immersion to a game or to create a genuine incentive to be more tactical, more precise and not get yourself killed!

The Reality Shock allows you total control over the output, meaning that feedback intensities, patterns and length of time active are all controllable by the software (with a few safety measures built into hardware of course), and thus allows you full control over what kind of feedback you wish to convey to the user, be it a slight bump from someone walking into your character or a full blown painful explosive barrel to the face.

I have working Reality Shocks right now, and I plan to make it available no matter what funding I get. This campaign is more about adding to the final experience, getting more game engines natively working, making the product aesthetically pleasing, adding more features, exploring alternate applications and creating a lower overall price.

Haptics eh? Sounds fancy...

To quote Wikipedia :

“Haptic technology, or haptics, is a tactile feedback technology which recreates the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user.”

In short, haptic feedback is a physical stimulation in response to something that has happened virtually. Some examples of haptics that you will likely have encountered previously are controller rumble packs or even phone vibration alerts.

Okay, that sounds pretty cool, but what works with it at the moment?

Games that are currently supported are listed below, but of course support for future games will be added and developers are being contacted to expand the range of natively supported games and applications.

Current Support

Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 Deathmatch

Half-Life 2 Episode One

Half-Life 2 Episode Two

Counter-Strike Global Offensive

Work In Progress

Counter-Strike Source

Team-Fortress 2

Planned Support

Arma III

DayZ

Minecraft

Payday 2

Quake 3 Arena

Unreal Engine (Unreal Tournament)

Documentation and examples on how to effectively use the hardware will be freely and publicly available to allow you utilise the Reality Shock in your own games, applications and projects.

So if you think something needs support adding or the current support isn't quite as good as it could be, there is nothing stopping you from adding it or improving it!

So... tell me about the design.

The design has evolved very rapidly based on the limited amount of feedback gained from a few early testers and is currently being designed into a case. The Reality Shock has progressed from several rudimentary 3D printed cases and is now moving onto an extruded aluminium case.

Representative 3D rendered image while sample cases are in transit.

The design is simplistic, minimalist yet versatile and is easily adaptable to deliver a varied array of feelings and sensations to the user.

One of the key things I'm hoping to achieve with this campaign is to get more prototypes in the hands of like minded people that share the enthusiasm of creating a sense of immersion in their games, and using their feedback to create a product that is shaped by the community, for the community.

You have my interest... What are the specifications and current features of the prototype?

The current prototype unit has the below list of features that are currently being built upon and expanded.

Single output channel.

Rechargeable via an on-board Micro USB socket.

Bluetooth connectivity for wireless usage

A 3+ hour lifespan on one charge.

Later revisions will have a longer battery life and multiple independently controllable output channels.

What about you? Who are you and why are you doing this?!

I'm an electrical engineer of 8 years by trade, who happens to spend most of his time outside of work gaming with friends, dabbling with general electronics and fiddling with hardware.

I've always wanted to create something that I could share with the masses, something that would bring enjoyment and allow people to have huge amounts of fun by themselves or with their friends. This is my way of trying to do that, and will hopefully allow me to continue to create obscure, wondrous peripherals for everyone's enjoyment. :)

What will the money be used for?

Development of the software, learning the ins and outs of several game engines and liaising with developers will be a very time consuming process. This funding will enable me to do this effectively, and in a timely manner.

Once prototyping is complete, the product will need to undergo several costly tests to gain certification to allow it to be sold in the UK and US. It is my hope that with the help of you, and this Kickstarter campaign, I shall be able to get all of the necessary certification and tests completed.

When going into the manufacturing stage, purchasing parts will be one of the main expenditures. The funding will allow me to buy parts in larger quantities at a lower price, which will fundamentally allow me to create a lower final unit cost.

In short, your support will help me refine the Reality Shock, reduce the cost of the final unit and ultimately, enhance the overall experience for the end user as well as eventually allowing me to develop other interesting, engaging and immersive peripherals for gaming and VR.

OK, I'm sold, when can I have one?

Our aim is to have the MK2 Reality Shocks completed and shipping to backers by the end of Q2 of 2015 and then develop, adapt and refine the MK3 model based on the feedback from the MK2s.

The MK3 is expected to be available by Q4 of 2015 allowing for potential tweaks/redesigns, however this is very much subject to change based on the feedback and could be a little later or a little earlier.

If you have any questions that I haven't covered here, please do not hesitate to contact me at andrew@oplabs.co.uk, via Kickstarter, the various social media websites or head on over to the OPLabs WEBSITE.

Thank you for reading. :)

Risks and challenges

Product launches always come with risks, but we believe we’re currently well placed to deal with any unforeseen issues. We want to be honest with our backers and currently have assessed the potential risks as:

- CE certification is a time consuming and potentially expensive process, over which we have little control.

- We aim to have aggressive yet realistic targets in order to achieve a competitive manufacturing and low final unit cost. This may end up affecting the final aesthetic of the product and materials used in manufacturing although not too significantly.

- Due to the nature of what the Reality Shock is, it is HIGHLY advised that you seek consent from your GP if you have a pre-existing heart condition or are in the early stages of pregnancy to ensure if you're able to safely use the device.

The music use in the video, is titled "Be careful, I've Stood On It Too" by "Bitbasic" and "Night Owl" by Broke for Free and is utilised under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 licence.